Sergeant Boran stood on his stump, eyes scanning the group as he prepared to deliver the next set of instructions. “I’m now going to split you off into four groups before we get into the gear,” he began, his voice calm but firm. “It’s no coincidence that we have forty people per platoon. Each of you will be placed into a role you're best suited for according to your abilities and aptitudes.”

Kaiden straightened up instinctively, listening carefully. Around him, others shifted, clearly curious about which role they'd be assigned. Some looked eager, while others glanced at one another nervously. What if I don’t like the role I get? Kaiden wondered. He had his hopes set on being a Striker, but the uncertainty gnawed at him.

“We’ve received reports from your time at basic training,” Boran continued, his gaze sweeping across the group like he was looking through each of them. "If you disagree with the role you're assigned, too bad. You don’t have the experience that we do, so trust us when we say we know better than you what role will suit you best. Your placements have been decided by people who have actually been through many dungeons, so trust us.”

A quiet murmur ran through the crowd. Kaiden heard a few whispers of frustration nearby.

Boran’s voice cut through the whispers. “Once you become Dungeoneers, if you’d like to change your role, you can take it up with your officer in charge.”

That seemed to quiet some of the tension, though a few skeptical looks remained.

Kaiden exchanged a glance with Davick, who raised an eyebrow as if to say, Well, I hope they don't mess this up.

“However, this is just for now. And to have the best chance at surviving your first dungeon, you’ll rely on us,” Boran said, concluding his speech.

Kaiden sighed internally. I guess I’ll just have to trust them. There was an exact number of people to form ten groups of four.

Boran’s voice cut through the stillness as he began rattling off names. The first ten recruits were sent to one side, another ten separated into another group, and the process continued. Kaiden's heart thudded as each group formed, hoping his name would be called for the Strikers group.

Finally, Boran called Kaiden’s name and motioned him over to the last group.

Boran walked over to the first group, facing them with a firm nod. “Strikers,” he announced.

Kaiden clenched his jaw. Damn it, he cursed internally. His hopes of putting his sword skills to the test faded. I wasn’t good enough, he thought.

Boran moved to the second group and said, “Casters.”

Well, that figures, Kaiden thought. He knew he wouldn’t be in that group. He didn’t have any offensive magic abilities. Naturally this could be overcome with an enchanted item, they were already told not to rely on them.

Boran stopped in front of the third group, where Davick was standing. “Defenders.”

Kaiden’s eyes widened in surprise. That was the group Davick was placed in. Wait! His mind raced. If Davick was a Defender, and the Casters and Strikers were already assigned, there was only one role left.

Boran finally turned toward Kaiden’s group, the realization hitting Kaiden like a slap.

No way. No way, he thought. His stomach dropped as Boran’s voice confirmed what he dreaded.

“Bracers,” Boran said, pointing at Kaiden's group.

What the fuck? Kaiden thought, struggling to keep his composure. I'm support?

Kaiden felt the urge to protest rising in his chest, but he swallowed it down. He knew it wouldn’t make any difference. Boran had prepared them for this, practically warning them that arguing was pointless. Glancing around, Kaiden could see a few other trainees with disappointed expressions, their hopes for different roles dashed just like his. Most, though, seemed content, even pleased with their assignments.

Boran, sensing the unrest among the group, spoke again, his voice calm but firm. “Like I said, you’ve been placed in the role with the highest chance for your success right now,” he reiterated, making sure his point hit home. “If you don’t like it, then become a Dungeoneer and change it. But as of now, this is your role, and you’ll be learning from this perspective moving forward.”

Kaiden lowered his head in resignation. Why would they make me a Bracer? he thought, frustrated. It didn’t make any sense—he didn’t have any healing or support abilities. The role seemed like a complete mismatch for him. He’d been banking on his Regeneration skill giving him the edge to be a Defender, maybe even something that would set him apart. But support? That felt like a waste.

He reasoned it out, recalling what little he knew about the Bracer role. It wasn’t just about healing or casting buffs—it was about being the backbone of the group. A Bracer "braced" the party, offering critical support in whatever form was needed. Whether healing wounds, reinforcing defenses, or providing utility, the Bracer’s job was to ensure the team stayed standing. They didn’t have to be a a straight-up healer or buffer; their purpose was to keep the group moving forward, no matter what.

Kaiden mulled over his situation, still unconvinced about being placed in the Bracer role. The reasoning made some sense, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that his abilities were better suited for something more direct, like a Defender or Striker.

Then Boran spoke again. "I'm sure some of you still want to argue. If that's the case, see me after training and we'll talk, but you won't be reassigned."

At least that was something, Kaiden thought. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to speak with the sergeant about his role, especially since there wasn’t anything he could do to change it. And he definitely didn’t want to get on the sergeant’s bad side. Hell, he didn’t want to stand out either. He decided that instead of overthinking it now, he’d see how the day went. If he wanted to talk to Boran later, he’d decide then.

“Now we can start with the enchanted gear."

This brought a lot of hushed celebrations. Boran pointed to a few crates and said, "Strikers, these are yours." He then gestured toward the other crates for Casters, Defenders, and Bracers. "Go through the gear and get a feel for what abilities they allow you to use so you have a better idea of what someone in your role should be capable of. I want you all to discuss in your groups about the items you have and talk about how they can help you and your dungeon party."

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He raised his voice a bit, adding, "Now, do not—and I repeat do not—try to use any abilities on anyone here. Not even Bracers or Defenders. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Sergeant!" everyone said in unison.

Boran continued, "I'll be going around each group and helping you answer questions along the way. Then at the end, I'll pick some of you to give a short explanation and demonstration of the gear and its abilities so everyone can learn something. And before you ask, enchanted items can be identified even without the Identify skill. Simply touch it and feed mana into it until you get a notification in your status."

He paused, watching everyone's eager faces, then added, "Also, don't even think about walking off with anything here. You'll be caught and sent to the brig. I have an inventory list," he warned, his tone making it clear that it wasn’t an empty threat.

All the trainees walked up to their assigned gear piles, eagerly grabbing items at random. Enchanted weapons, armor, and gear were passed around, tossed back into the piles, handed back and forth, and tried on. Some recruits were swinging swords, others were trying on helmets or shields, each getting a feel for the equipment. The air buzzed with excitement as they tested the enchanted items.

"Make sure you spread out before testing the enchantments!" Sergeant Boran yelled. "The support platoon should arrive shortly with targets."

Kaiden, curious to see what the Bracer gear could do, grabbed a pair of wristguards. He fed mana into them, and a notification popped up:

Wristguards of Mana Shielding (Bracer): Allows the wearer to activate a mana shield around the desired target.

"Wow," Kaiden muttered to himself as he slipped them on. He activated the shield, watching in amazement as a translucent barrier formed around him. It was as easy as activating his own ability, which surprised him. Curious, he removed one wristguard and tried again, only to find the enchantment wouldn't activate. He realized that for paired items, both pieces had to be worn to make the ability work.

Interesting, he thought, passing the wristguards to a fellow Bracer in exchange for a chest piece. The chest piece was made of sturdy, hard leather with intricate designs along the edges. He fed mana into it, and another notification appeared:

Chest Piece of Mana Array (Bracer): The wearer can charge and store mana in the armor and use it to give mana to themselves or anyone the wearer desires within range.

"Now that’s incredibly useful," Kaiden muttered, feeding mana into the chest piece. The notification displayed: 100/250, and it slowly climbed as his own mana lowered. He stopped at 125/250, seeing no reason to deplete himself further. Then, designating himself as the target, he felt a surge of energy flow back into him, steadily refilling his mana reserves.

"This is basically a mana battery," he thought, impressed with the utility of the gear.

After studying it for a bit longer, he removed the chest piece and sifted through other items, testing various support abilities like heals, buffs, and shields. Then he found a set of boots that quickly became his favorite item so far when he fed mana into them, and the notification made him do a double-take:

Boots of Kicking Curse (Bracer): The wearer can remove curses by kicking the target. Stronger curses will require stronger kicks. Caution: kicking the target may cause damage. Be careful of weak targets.

Kaiden stifled a laugh. “These boots literally let me kick the curse out of someone!” he thought, barely holding back a grin. The sheer absurdity of it was wild—and also, an interesting way to learn that curses existed in this world.

Breaking Kaiden's internal machinations of karate-kicking cursed targets, Sergeant Boran's voice cut through the air. “Targets are here. Go and help bring them out for practice.”

Kaiden glanced toward a horseless wagon being pushed and pulled toward the group. "That’s gotta suck," he mumbled to himself, but then he noticed something odd. The wheels weren’t turning—the wagon was floating. His eyebrows shot up. "Don’t see that every day," he muttered. Or do you? He wondered if floating wagons were just the norm in this world. Curiosity got the better of him, and he activated his Arcane Vision to catch a glimpse of any magic at play. Sure enough, colorful magical scripts glowed underneath the wagon, their intricacies weaving together in a complex way.

The support platoon began unloading targets from the back. Kaiden noticed they were simple archery targets—round, thick canvas disks mounted on wooden frames, nothing fancy at first glance, but enough to do the job. They also handed out foldable wooden stands to hold the targets in place, each surprisingly heavier than it looked.

As Kaiden set his target up, he activated his Arcane Vision once again and saw faint magical scripts etched into both the target and the stand. The subtle glow of enchantments caught his eye. He bent closer to inspect them and guessed they were meant to reinforce the structures, possibly to make them sturdier or able to withstand more force.

He was proven right when Boran’s voice rang out again. “These targets are special. Our mages back at the supply depot cast shielding and hardening spells on them. Their spells won’t last all day, so let’s get to it.”

"Interesting," Kaiden thought. The enchantments on these targets weren’t permanent, like the ones on their gear. He had no idea how to tell the difference between an enchantment and an active ability, but maybe, if his Arcane Vision ever leveled up, he'd learn to discern things like that. For now, he shrugged it off, focusing on the task at hand.

As much as Kaiden wanted to kick the shit—the curse—out of the target, he knew two things: one, the target wasn’t cursed, and two, he didn’t actually know how to kick. Years of watching kung fu movies didn’t equate to knowing anything about real fighting. Basic training had focused more on weapons than hand-to-hand combat, so despite his bravado, he knew he was still pretty useless in a physical fight.

Sighing, Kaiden reluctantly took off his favorite pair of curse-kicking boots and grabbed another enchanted item: the wristguards that allowed him to cast a mana shield. He figured that was more practical for now. He concentrated on forming a shield around one of the targets, watching as a faint barrier shimmered into existence.

As he glanced around, it was hard not to be in awe of the other trainees, especially the casters. Fireballs, ice shards, water blasts, and even lightning bolts flew through the air. The energy in the field was electric—no pun intended. Watching magic in action, especially up close, was like something straight out of a dream. None of the spells were particularly powerful, and the targets remained unscathed thanks to their magical reinforcements, but it was still pretty awesome.

After they had practiced for a while, Sergeant Boran called an end to the session. He gathered everyone together for some demonstrations and explanations. Four or five people from each role were chosen to show off their enchanted gear and give a brief overview of how it could be used in combat.

Once training wrapped up, the trainees helped the support platoon pack away the targets while Boran took inventory of the enchanted items. That’s when Davick strolled over to Kaiden, all smiles.

"This was incredible!" Davick said, clearly buzzing with excitement.

"I know, right?" Kaiden replied, matching his enthusiasm.

They talked for a bit about their roles. Davick was clearly pleased with being assigned as a Defender, happy to know he’d be relying on his defensive skills instead of having to swing a sword to kill monsters. But when the topic shifted to Kaiden’s role, Davick raised an eyebrow.

"Bracer, huh? That wouldn’t have been my guess," Davick said thoughtfully.

"Yeah, me neither," Kaiden admitted. "Honestly, I think I might have a word with Sergeant Boran after class."

Davick nodded. "That’s not gonna change your assignment though."

"I know," Kaiden said with a sigh. "But it just doesn’t make sense to me, y’know?"

Davick gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Alright, I get it. Should I wait for you?"

Kaiden shook his head. "Nah, I have no idea how long it’ll take. And who knows, there could be a line waiting to talk to him."

"Alright then, I won’t wait up."

Sgt. Boran then called everyone into formation. He seemed to be done taking inventory, and the targets were all packed up. "Good job, everyone. I'm starting to see the beginnings of new Dungeoneers out there. We'll meet here tomorrow at the same time. Whoever needs to speak with me, stay behind. Everyone else, dismissed!"

The trainees headed off, except for Kaiden and one other—a tall, lanky soldier with sharp features and an expression that seemed permanently bored. Boran pointed at the trainee. "Let's talk," he said, then pointed at Kaiden. "You're next, but for now, take five."

"Aye, sergeant," Kaiden replied, walking off to give the other trainee his privacy. As he waited, his mind buzzed, gathering his thoughts on what exactly he wanted to say.